Depeche Mode Live
May 14, 2006 - Reviewer: Alex
Lekutanoy
“Pain and misery
always hits the spot”
With the release of
their new album Playing the Angel Depeche Mode has come
roaring back to the top of their game.
With their trademark
black on black sexuality, lead by Dave Gahan, the mesmerizing
Prince of Goth, DM played the hell out of New Jersey. The set
had an out of this world; good and evil feel to it. On the side
of the stage, a giant silver ball parading a celestial, sordid,
scrabble of words like Angel, Sex, Enjoy, Love, Vice, Pain, etc.
It opened with A
pain that I’m used to, a dramatic industrial siren lead into
Dave Gahan’s brooding vocals “…I don’t know what I’m looking for
anymore, I just know that I’m harder to console…”. Then came
John the Revelator, a pulsating apocalyptic song (written by
Martin Gore) with the lyrics “…seven lies, multiplied by seven,
multiplied by seven again, seven angels, with seven trumpets,
send them home on the morning train…” sounded like Armageddon on
LSD. The sinner in me was sung to a devilish crooning
perfection “….I’ll never be a saint, that’s not a picture that
your memory paints, not renowned for my patience; I’m not
renowned for my restraint…”. With his distinctive voice Martin
Gore, DMs master songwriter, sang Damaged People and
Home. His effortless charisma and smile radiated over and
into the crowd.
Gahan performed
Walking in my shoes as if he were putting all of music’s
front men on notice, “…try walking in my shoes, you stumble in
my footsteps!…”
Suffer Well
with the lyrics “…something’s changed and it’s in your eyes,
please don’t speak you’ll only lie….”, and the more optimistic
Nothing’s impossible “…even the stars look brighter
tonight – nothing’s impossible…” were both penned by Gahan.
Favorites like
Enjoy the silence, Everything counts, Personal
Jesus, Question of time and I feel you
got the crowd going, particularly Personal Jesus which
Gahan performed like a demented evangelist imploring the crowd
to “reach out and touch faith”.
DM closed the show
with Gahan leading the crowd into a manic swaying of hands and
singing Never let me down again.
Depeche Mode are
back, just how we like them, singing dark and out of control
love songs!
If you feel the
need to wallow in the mire, or marinate in melancholy, see them
at their next stop.
www.depechemode.com
